My First Post of The Year! (Outing to Pulau Ubin)

Yes, quite embarrassing, almost 5 months have passed but this is my first post in the blog this year.

Just like any other photographers, I have not been shooting since the Circuit Breaker (CB)  period started almost two months ago. So naturally, I have got nothing to showcase here. Five months have passed this unforgettable 2020, I think I should fill the void of this blog with an outing I could recall quite vividly.  

Back on 5th January this year when the virus has not reached SG, thanks CA for initiating a trip to Pulau Ubin and giving me a lift there on a nice Sunday morning. Together with Mr Foo, once we arrived at Ubin, we headed straight to the Butterfly Hill and stayed there throughout the whole duration of the outing.

I remembered there were quite a number of butterflies fluttering around - Grass Demon (was abundant and they were out for sunbathing and feeding on flowers.

  Taking a shot on flower was both challenging and rewarding.

A lonely Nacaduba berenice icena (Rounded Sixline Blue) was fluttering in a shady part of bushes. 

Leopard Lacewing (Cethosia cyane) appeared to be rather rare in the late 2018 - 2019. This single male specimen found at a shady corner at the Butterfly Hill gave me a moment of  excitement though I have shot this species many times before.  

Its open-wing shot.

At the same spot, another butterfly attracted my attention - a rather pristine Common Tit (Hypolycaena erylus teatus).

At another shady corner behind the Lacewing butterfly, a Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina) was fluttering around. When it perched on a twig, I quickly snapped a few quick shots.

I have seen Palm King (Amathusia phidippus phidippus) many times at Pulau Ubin - this was my best record shot that I had in many years. 

It was a day of skippers - there were quite a number of them zipping past us, at different locations. This one looks like the Detached Dart (Potanthus trachala tytleri).

Another Potanthus species (it is a  male Potanthus mingo identified by Dr Seow at BC) lurking in a shade.

In contrast, the Yellow Palm Dart (Cephrenes trichopepla) seemed to prefer sunlit spot on a leaf.

This was  a Banded Demon (Notocryta paralysos varians), trying to spread out its wings to sunbathe. 

Another large size brown Demon skipper, a Chocolate Demon (Ancistroides nigrita maura) resting on a bamboo shoot.

Enough of Demons, we always like to see more species of butterflies. The Dwarf Crow (Euploea tulliolus ledereri) is a special bitterfly in Ubin - as far as I know, it has not been spotted in SG main island yet.

I remembered I spotted this female Green Baron (Euthalia adonia pinwilli) came down to feed on some Ixora flowers briefly. She was just too shy and scooted off rapidly even I was afar. She appeared in the late morning and I remember, at the critical moment, my flash light failed me - this was the only decent shot taken without the flash light when she folded her wings.   

I must say that butterfly-outing on 5 Jan was a memorable one as it was my first outing since I returned from HK that I got to see and shoot so many species at one place in a single outing

This sudden Covid-19 pandemic has shocked and waken me up somewhat - social activities and the freedom of travelling to everywhere that we have enjoyed should not be seen as a given now. We all believe that it is a matter of time, the current pandemic situation will be over and become an episode in the  history of mankind. But, we need to remind ourselves now, before the next one strikes us (no one can predict when it will happen) we must treasure every opportunity that allows us to pursue our dreams, to explore and enjoy nature before we are immobilised by whatever causes.       

On this note, I need to motivate myself to explore, write and post more often!